Rialto Theater
219 S. Jefferson Avenue,
Peoria,
IL
61602
219 S. Jefferson Avenue,
Peoria,
IL
61602
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last film i saw there was star wars [8 times or so] last time was september of 77 i think. im here cause i wish i could go back.. if others are also we must realize its also and probably more the people who helped make those memories..perhaps if some of those people r still living and are kind souls we should seek them out and say ‘'hey’‘ etc.
My moviegoing years in Peoria, IL were from the early to mid-1960s. We either attended films at the Madison, Palace or Beverly – no idea why we never attended anything at the Rialto.
Here’s a link to a vintage shot of the Rialto:
View link
No year is given for this photo
Here are photos from 1978 and 1985:
http://tinyurl.com/clbr5b
http://tinyurl.com/cqavbt
On 8/27/51, the Dixon Evening Telegraph announced that the Rialto had been sold to Kerasotes Theaters by the Great States Theater Group. The transfer would be effective as of September 1, 1951.
For some reason I liked the Rialto best of all 6 downtown Peoria theaters in my time. It was considered 3rd among the first-run houses (after the Madison & Palace) but it sometimes got the “big” pictures held over from the Madison, which never ran any movie more than a week in the ‘40’s & '50’s. It’s a real shame that they couldn’t incorporate it into the Peoria Civic Center as a performing arts center, as some preservationists implored them to do.